Device for aligning printing plates and the like



April 16, 1957 H. F. ADRIEN 2,788,584

DEVICE FOR ALIGNING PRINTING PLATES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 21, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r 22 1 so f/sl ,m

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April 16, 1957 H. F. ADRIEN 2,788,584

DEVICE FOR ALIGNING PRINTING PLATES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 21, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fi m/ [law EW ZZZ/,2 @44 ATTORNY DEVlltIE FOR ALIGNING PRINTING PLATES AND THE LIKE Henri F. Adrien, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application December 21, 1953, Serial No. 399,213

10 Claims. (Cl. 33-1845) This invention relates to a device for laying out and aligning objects such as printing plates and the like.

in many fields such as printing, advertising copy layout, and related graphic arts, it is frequently necessary to accurately align objects, such as type-forms, plates, and engravings, both with respect to each other and/or to a common base or reference. It is also frequently necessary to have an accurate protraction arrangement whereby said objects may be arranged at predetermined angles, or whereby angles between objects and the reference base may be accurately measured.

In general, therefore, it is one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a novel device to facilitate the performance of the above tasks.

Another object is to provide in the device of the present invention a novel protraction arrangement whereby the angle or angles between various objects and/or a base or reference line on a work surface may be quickly and accurately determined.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a pair of independently slidable or movable slide members with a flexible cord, thread, string, or the like, extending therebetween and over the base or work surface upon which the various objects are placed, with the cord serving as a guide for locating the various objects or lines on the work surface, and in this respect a further object of the present invention is to provide a novel means for connecting the opposite ends of the cord to the slide members whereby the distance between and the positions of the slide members may be varied without causing the cord to break or become slack, the cord at all times remaining properly taut at a desired predetermined tension.

Another object of the invention is to provide within at least one of the slide members a tensioned cord or string take-up means whereby the cord or string extending between the two slide members is maintained in a taut condition during movement and for all positions of the slide members.

A further object is to provide a guide means for the string and comprising a narrow guide bore through a wall of each of the slide members so as to accurately locate each of the exposed ends of string over a zero point of a respective protractor mounted on the slide members.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a device embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 3l3 of Fig. 2;. i

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view indicating the manner in which the present invention may junction with a round object; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view indicating the manner in which the present invention may be employed to locate two objects on a work surface at a desired angle to each other.

Referring now to the drawing, reference numeral 11 indicates a portion of a base or work surface, such as a drawing board, upon which a sheet of paper or other ma terial may be placed and upon which it is desired to place objects, such as negatives, at certain angles with respect to a predetermined reference line, for example.

A pair of weighted slide members 22, 23 are adapted to be manually moved around on the work surface 11 in be employed in corn a manner hereinafter setforth, and each slide member 22, 23 has a cavity 16 therein. The hollow 16 is formed from the underside of the slide members and is closed bya section of sheet material 17 suitably secured to the bottom of the slide members. The walls forming the cavity 16 are relatively thick so as to provide sufficient weight in the slide members to prevent accidental movement thereof when once they are positioned.

A shaft 29 in the cavity 16 of each slide member 22, 23 is supported on pins 30, 31 extending through opposite side walls and coiled about the shaft 29 is a spring 34. One end of the spring 34 is anchored in a side Wall and the other end is anchored in a spool 35 surrounding the spring. The spools 35 are free to turn on their respective shafts and are urged to rotate in one direction by the attached springs.

A string or similar flexible member 39 has an end secured to each spool 35 and extends horizontally through narrow guide bores ll formed in the front walls 24 of the slide members. The front walls 24 also have fiat horizontal surfaces 42 which support semi-circular plates 43.

The semi-circular plates 43 are secured to each of the slide members 22, 23 adjacent and beneath the guide bore 48 and have inscribed on their upper surface a series of radially extending indicia 44 forming a pro-- The sheets 17 secured to the flat bottom portions of the slide members have a high coeflicient of friction, such as paper, cardboard, fabric, or the like. Thesheetsl'] bear upon the fiat horizontal work surface upon which the slide members are placed and exert sufiicient frictional resistance to retain the slide members 22, 23 in their proper adjusted positions so as to avoid accidental movement due to vibration or slight jarring of the base 11.

The operation of the device will now be briefly described. The slide members 22, 23 are manually moved about the work surface 11 until the string-like flexible member 39 is in the proper position and at the proper angle to act as a guide for aligning the type-forms, plates, engravings or similar objects to be lined up on the surface of the base 11. As best seen in Fig. 4, the angle of the flexible string 39 may be quickly and easily determined by observing its relation with respect to the protractor scale 44.

As the slide members 22, 23 are moved about on the surface 11, the distance between them as well as the ex- As illustrated in Fig. 5, a round object :46 maybe:

aligned with respect to a base in which case the string 39 Patented -Apr.. 6,

greases would be raised and allowed to freely fall upon the object. Gtherwise with a round object higher than the string, movement of the slide members 22, 23 might cause the string to assume a position in more than one plane normal to the surface 11.

In Fig. 6 it is assumed that the two objects 4'7 and 48, sueh as negatives, are to be positioned at a prede,

termined angle to each other. In this case object 47 would be lined up with the string 39 and one of the slide members such as 22 so positioned that the string is in the zero position on its protractor scale. The other slide member 23 could then be moved until the string 39 registered the desired angle on the protractor scale of the other slide member, which in this case would be slide member 22 to some such position as indicated by the dotted stringand slide member 23. Now the positioning of object 48 in alignment with the new position of the string 39 would assure its having the desired angle with respect to object 47'. Of course, additional objects could be positioned as desired in the same manner on the surface 11, and if desired the slide members 22. and 23 may be employed with the bottom surface 1? uppermost. This positions the string 39 closer to the work surface.

It 'is to be understood that the specific embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing and described above is merely illustrative of one of the many forms which the invention may talge in practice withoutdeparting from the scope thereof set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, that which I claim as new and desire to protect by United States Letters Patent is:

1. An aligning device for use upon a substantially flat and substantially horizontal surface, a pair of slide members each independently movable about upon said surface, a flexible string-like member extending horizontally over said flat surface and having its opposite ends connected to said slide members, means resiliently connecting at least one end of said flexible member to a respective one of said slide members and exerting tension on said flexible member to maintain the latter taut irrespective of the distance between said slide members as the latter are moved to various positions on said surface, at least one of said slide members having mounted thereon a protractor located beneath said flexible member for measuring the angle of the latter.

2. An aligning device as recited in claim 1, wherein said connecting means comprises a spool rotatably mounted on said one slide member, said one end of the flexible member being wound on said spool, and spring means urging said spool to rotate in a direction to wind said one end of said flexible member therearound and thereby maintain said flexible member taut.

3. An aligning device for use upon a flat horizontal surface comprising a pair of slide members each independently movable about said surface, and a flexible string-like member extending horizontally over said flat surface and having its opposite ends connected to said slide members, means resiliently connecting at least one end of said flexible member to a respective one of said slide members and exerting tension on the flexible member to maintain the latter taut irrespective of the distance between said slide members as the latter are moved to various positions on said surface, at least one of said slide members having a guide means, said flexible member slidably engaging said guide means so as to be guided thereby, and a. protractor mounted on said one slide member and having a zero index in vertical alignment with said guide means.

4. An aligning device for use upon a flat horizontal surface comprising a pair of slide members, a flexible stringlilce member extending horizontally over'said flat surface and having each end connected to an adjacent one of said slide members, means resiliently connecting at least one end of said flexible member to a respective one of said sliden embers and exerting tension on the flexible men;-

4 ber to maintain the latter taut irrespective of the distance between said slide members as the latter are moved about said flat surface, said connecting means comprising a spool rotatably mounted on said one slide member, said one end of the flexible member being wound on said spool, and spring means urging said spool to rotate in a direction to wind said one end of the flexible member therearound and thereby maintaining said flexible member taut, at least one of said slide members having a narrow guide bore extending inwardly toward the opposite slide member, said flexible member slidably extending through said guide bore, and a protractor mounted on said one slide member and having a zero index in vertical alignment with the end of said guide bore nearest said opposite slide mernber.

5. An aligning device for use on a substantially flat iorizontal surface comprising a pair of slide members, a flexible string-like member extending horizontally over said flat surface, a horizontal shaft mounted to one of said slide members, a spring coiled around said shaft, a cylindrical spool having an axial bore receiving said shaft and spring and rotatably mounted thereon, one end of said spring being fixed with respect to the slide member and the other end being secured to said spool so as to bias the latter, said flexible member having one end wound about said spool and the opposite end connected to the other of said slide members.

6. An aligning device for use upon a substantially flat horizontal surface comprising a pair of slide members, a flexible string-like member extending horizontally over said flat surface, at least one of said slide members being hollow and forming an enclosure, a spool rotatably mounted within said enclosure, one end of said flexible member being wound on said spool and the other end being connected to the other slide member, and spring means urging said spool to rotate in a direction to wind said one end of the flexible member therearound and thereby maintain said flexible member taut.

7 An aligning device comprising a pair of slide members each movable about upon a list work surface, a flexible string-like member extending horizontally over said fiat surface and having opposite ends connected to each of said slide members, and means resiliently connecting at least one end of said flexible member to a respective one of said slide members and exerting tension on the flexible member to maintain the latter taut irrespective of the distance between said slide members as the latter are moved to various positions upon said work surface, means including a spool rotatably mounted in said one slide member, said one end of the flexible member being wound on said spool, and spring means urging said spool to rotate in a direction to wind said one end of the flexible member therearound and thereby maintaining said flexible member taut.

8. Au aligning device comprising a pair of slide members, at least one of said slide members being hollow and forming an enclosure, a flexible string-like member ex tending between said slide members, a spool rotatably mounted within said enclosure, one end of said flexible member being wound on said spool and the other end of said flexible member being operatively connected to the other slide member, spring means urging said spool to rotate in a direction to wind said one end of said flexible member therearound whereby said flexible member is held taut between said slide members, said one slide member having a guide bore in communication with said hollow enclosure through which said flexible member extends, said guide bore having an end leading through an end to an exterior surface of said one slide member, and a protractor mounted on said one slide member and having a zero index in substantial alignment with said end of said guide bore.

9. An aligning {device comprising a pair of movable supports, a flexible string-like member extending between said supports and having each end connected to an adjacent one of said supports, means resiliently connecting one end of said flexible member to one of said supports and exerting tension on said flexible member to maintain same taut as said supports are moved relative to each other, and a protractor having a zero index mounted on one of said supports, said string-like member extending freely from a location on the support for said protractor which substantially coincides with said zero index.

10. An aligning device comprising a pair of slide members each movable about upon a flat work surface, a flexible string-like member extending horizontally over said flat surface and having opposite ends connected to each of said slide members, and means resiliently connecting at least one end of said flexible member to a respective one of said slide members and exerting tension on the flexible member to maintain the latter taut irrespective of the distance between said slide members as the latter are moved to various positions upon said work surface, means including a spool rotatably mounted in said one slide member, said one end of the flexible member being wound on said spool, spring means urging said spool to rotate in a direction to Wind said one end of the flexible member therearound and thereby maintaining said flexible member taut, and a protractor mounted on at least one of said slide members and located beneath said flexible member for measuring the angle of the latter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 633,263 Grant Sept. 19, 1899 671,690 Creasey Apr. 9, 1901 839,700 Ansell Dec. 25, 1906 2,026,377 Coms'tock Dec. 31, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS 493,735 Belgium June 1, 1950 

